A Twist in the Tale
by avatarstarkid
Summary: Many surprises lie in store for Storybrooke a week after the curse is broken, especially for our mysterious pawnbroker.
1. Chapter 1 Plans

A TWIST IN THE TALE

Summary—Many surprises lie in store for Storybrooke a week after the curse is broken, especially for our mysterious pawnbroker.

Disclaimer—I own nothing. All rights to Once Upon a Time belong to ABC.

Chapter 1—Plan

As he sat spinning at the wheel in his home office, Mr. Gold thought of all the recent changes in the little town of Storybrooke.

A week had passed since Emma had broken the spell, restoring everyone's memories, and since he had brought magic—power—to Storybrooke. Snow and Charming were happily together now, often spending time with Emma and Henry. Booth had come back to life (fully human except for the wooden leg that served as a reminder for him to be a better man) and to work as his father's assistant. Granny and Ruby continued to run their café.

The Dark One plotted.

The first part of his plan had remained the same for over thirty years—finding Bae. He only hoped that, _when _he found his son, he could be forgiven for letting the boy go. The only person he had told about Bae was Belle, his true love.

Belle. The only thing that surprised him more than the fact that she was here—alive—was the fact that, even after remembering everything, she still loved him. She forgave him for his cowardice and rejection.  
_"My power means more to me than you."  
"No. No, it doesn't. You just don't think I can love you."_ She'd been right and he knew it.

She'd never seemed truly afraid—not of him, not when they made the deal. Until now. Every night for the past week she had woken up screaming. Nightmares, she said through her tears, of what they'd put her through in the psych ward. He would hold her in his arms as she cried, trying to comfort her. "Shhhh. It's alright, dearie. I'm here…" he said over and over while silently cursing Regina for hurting his Belle like this. With Belle asleep again, he'd quietly leave the room, plotting new ways to make the queen pay for all she'd done. And she would pay _dearly_—for locking Belle away for 28 years, for making him believe she was dead for years even before the Curse.

As if on cue, the blue-eyed beauty opened the door, smiling. "You have a visitor."

"Show him in," he said, stopping the wheel mid-spin and going to his desk.

Judging from Belle's smile that the guest was young Henry, Gold was surprised as a young girl walked in, carrying a large schoolbag.

"Mr. Gold?" she asked nervously.

"Yes. What can I do for you, dearie?"

"My name is Bailey Dawson.

I'm your granddaughter."


	2. Chapter 2 Bae

Summary—Many surprises lie in store for Storybrooke a week after the curse is broken, especially for our mysterious pawnbroker.

Disclaimer—I own nothing. All rights to Once Upon a Time belong to ABC.

**A TWIST IN THE TALE**  
Chapter 2 –Bae

Belle sat next to Mr. Gold while they listened to the girl's story.

Bailey had grown up in New York with her mother and father, Sara and Matt Dawson. Her mother was a dance teacher who first started teaching Bailey to dance when she was four years old. Her father was a handyman and artist. When Bailey was little her mother always read her fairytales. "My mom and I loved all of the stories, but my dad wasn't a fan of the fairytales; he preferred Robin Hood and superheroes more. The only fairytales he really liked were Peter Pan and Rumplestiltskin.

My dad never really talked about his family. We did see my mom's family a lot."

The girl was quiet for a minute. "Go on," Belle said, smiling encouragingly.

"The summer I was twelve, I was in a ballet recital. My dad had work and couldn't come so Mom videotaped it. The show went really well. On the way home, our car was rear-ended and we crashed into a pole. I woke up in the hospital with a broken leg…Dad told me that Mom had been announced Dead On Arrival."

_Poor girl_. "I'm sorry."

"A few weeks after I got the cast off, Dad and I moved to Storybrooke for a new start. It was a good change. Dad found more handyman work and coached soccer. A few months ago I got a job helping Mr. French at the flower shop. Life was good. Then, about a week ago, something really strange happened."

Belle tried to stifle a smile. "Really...what's that?"

"I'm not really sure. I just know that one day Henry Mills got really sick. The next day, I was riding my bike to make a delivery for Mr. French when there was suddenly all this purple fog spreading through town. I waited at the school until the streets were clear enough to see. Since then, a lot of people around here have been acting pretty different."

'Different' was, of course, an understatement.

The girl's story was interesting but Gold was not convinced. As much as he wanted to believe Bae had returned, after the little incident with Booth, he would not believe without more solid proof. He would _not_ be fooled again.

Bailey opened her bag and pulled out a large sketchbook with 'BAILEY' written elaborately on the cover. "I turned 14 yesterday. My dad gave me this book. It's full of his best pictures." Smiling, she handed it to Mr. Gold.

_Fourteen_. He slowly opened the book. Belle looked over his shoulder as he looked through the pictures. The first half were of, he figured, Bailey and her parents. There were pictures of her as a baby, her and Nora dancing, her and Matt. Gold had to admit that Matt did look like how he imagined Bae would when he was older. _A lot more like Bae than Booth did_. There were also a lot of pictures of people and places around Storybrooke—Granny's diner, Graham and Emma at the police station, the school, and even the pawnshop.

Mr. Gold nearly dropped the book when he got to the second half.

The first was a very detailed picture of his and Bae's home in the Frontlands. Bae was playing with his ball as he spun at the wheel. More, equally detailed pictures followed—his revenge on Hordor…a snail about to be crushed under a boot…the knife (nearly identical to the one he'd found in Booth's room)…the portal…

"When I asked my dad about the second half, he explained. He said the boy in those pictures was him. He told me that his real name was Baelfire and that he was really from a world where all fairytales are real. He'd lived there, in the Frontlands, with his father…" She looked around the office, her eyes coming to rest on the spinning wheel. "…Rumplestiltskin." She then turned back to him. "You, Mr. Gold."

He told me how the people of the Frontlands had been engaged in war against Ogres for many years. The Ogres were winning, so the duke had started enlisting all children over the age of 14. He was nearly of age and was not really afraid, but you didn't want him to fight. So, one night, the two of you ran. You hadn't gotten far when some of the knights caught up with you. The leader, Hordor, quickly recognized you, started calling you Spindleshanks and—"

"_Hobblefoot_." Yes, he remembered that night well.

"Right. Hordor then told my dad about how, years ago, you'd earned the name 'The Man Who Ran'… The knights then threatened to take my dad off to fight unless you showed Hordor fealty and kissed his boot. They laughed when you did. An old beggar helped the two of you home. My dad later learned that the beggar had told you about a way you could keep your son from having to fight—by taking the power of the most powerful being in the realm—the Dark One. The following night you and my dad set the duke's castle on fire so you could steal the dagger needed to control the Dark One. My dad was really worried when you later sent him home, promising only that you'd come back. The next morning—my dad's 14th birthday—Hordor and his men came to take him off to fight. Just as he were about to leave with the knights, you returned. When he realized that you were the new Dark One, Hordor knelt before you. You ordered him to show 'a little fealty' by kissing your boot. Just as he started bowing in obedience, you…grabbed his head and twisted it…within seconds, you and my dad were standing amid five dead bodies…"

Mr. Gold heard Belle gasp as her eyes grew wide. She whispered, "You didn't…" He could only nod. _They were not taking Bae away_ _from me._

Bailey continued. "My dad said that, after that, you were never the same. He saw how the power of the Dark One consumed you, made you cold, and you were constantly searching for more power. Everyone in the village soon became afraid of you…with fairly good reason. My dad was too. He kept begging you to stop. Eventually, the two of you made a deal that—if he found a safe way for you to get rid of your power, you would do it. He later heard about the Blue Fairy who gave him a magic bean that would take the two of you to a magic-free world. You kept your promise until the night you were to go to the other world. Once he threw the bean and the portal opened, you were too afraid to go in; you thought it was a trick. He kept begging you to go, saying it was the only way you could be together. When he started falling into the portal, you ended up having to choose between letting go of the dagger or of him…you broke the deal, choosing magic over him. He was sucked into the portal and landed in this world—alone."

The only deal he'd ever broken. Gold still remembered the look of anger on the boy's face right before he'd fallen through the portal. _"You coward! You promised! Don't break our deal!" _

Bailey hesitantly continued. "He was really angry. He said he didn't see you again for years…until we moved here to Storybrooke." She smiled."He saw you around town and at the town meetings, most recently the one a few months ago when Emma Swan was voted as the new sheriff. He didn't tell me who you were until yesterday when he told me the story and said we'd come to your shop today."

Bae actually…_wanted_ to come to the shop? To see him?

Belle smiled. "That's great! Where is he now?"

Bailey took a deep breath. "Well, that's the other reason I'm here… Last night, after I'd gone up to bed, there was a break-in. Dad told me to stay in my room while he went downstairs to investigate. I couldn't hear much of what was said, but after a while I heard what sounded like someone getting beaten up pretty bad. Suddenly, I heard Mayor Mills' voice. She said 'Stop. Hello, Baelfire…' Then I heard my dad say 'I'll never fight for you. And you're going to lose. No one is more powerful than the Dark One.' I heard someone scream and she said "Take him.' Then it got really quiet. I stayed in my room until morning. When I went downstairs, there was blood on the floor and no sign of my dad. I searched the house and around town…my dad's gone."


End file.
